Massillon getting a Marshalls store

A 25,000-square-foot retail store is planned for the Massillon Marketplace by next fall.

Matthew Rink

Marshalls, one of the country’s largest off-price retailers of clothing and household goods, plans to locate in the Massillon Marketplace between Lowe’s and Big Lots by next fall.

To make way for the 25,000-square-foot store, a restaurant, Kings China Buffet, will close and a 12,000-square-foot addition will be built onto the rear of the building. The facade of the building also will undergo a transformation.

It’s not the only new company coming to Massillon.

Charley’s Grilled Subs is placing the finishing touches on a renovation of the former Donato’s Pizza restaurant at 2630 Lincoln Way E.

And a vacant site that once housed the old Red Head gas station, which long-time Massillonians should be familiar with, could be occupied by a nationally known doughnut company.

The Massillon Marketplace, off of state Route 21 at the Erie Street interchange, is anchored by Walmart and Lowes.

Patrick Sirpilla of Deville Developments said he has been in talks with Marshalls for eight months.

“We can utilize the existing roof and steel and structure,” he said. “That section right now is about 13,000 square feet, so we’ll be adding about 12,000 square feet and then putting an anchor-type facade on there.

“It brings more of a soft goods retailer there and can help bring even additional apparel users,” he said.

Marshalls was acquired by The TJX Companies Inc. in 1995, and with T.J. Maxx forms The Marmaxx Group, which is the largest off-price retailer of apparel and home fashions in the country. There are more than 830 Marshalls stores, including one on The Strip in Jackson Township.

Marshalls is occupying a site that retail giant Kohl’s once explored when it was considering Massillon for a new store. Sirpilla and Mayor Frank Cicchinelli said Kohl’s representatives have had no discussions with them since. Both said they would not be surprised if Kohl’s considers the city in the future. “If we can continue to attract department stores to Massillon it helps with making people stay home to shop,” Cicchinelli said. “Marshalls is a great department store. A lot of women love it. It fills a niche. To have one here is great, not only for the city, but that shopping center. It’s becoming a regional power center.”

Construction will begin this spring, according to Deville Developments and THF Realty. Deville Developments is also in talks with a company about a lease for a vacant site west of the Bob Evans restaurant at the Lillian Gish Boulevard and Lincoln Way W intersection.

The site is part of the Lincoln Center Phase III project, which includes the adjacent Massillon CitiCentre where Buffalo Wild Wings, Menches Bros. and Rockne’s restaurants are located. The site has remained vacant for several years because the EPA required that any soil contamination from the gas station be addressed.

“It took many years, but they (EPA) gave it a no-further-action status four or five years ago,” Sirpilla said. “We are now free to do whatever we want on it.”

Sirpilla would not disclose the name or type of business, but Cicchinelli said it would be considered a nationally known doughnut chain. If the project comes to fruition, the site would be altered so that cars can enter from Lillian Gish Boulevard.

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